Retail sales and cash on delivery (COD) sales are terms that are typically used to refer to concrete orders made by individuals such as, but not limited to, non-current account owners. Frequently, the retail orders are for jobs such as patios, driveways, pools, etc., and therefore require relatively small amounts of concrete compared to orders from construction companies and contractors. Although retail orders tend to be relatively small, the amount of time required to receive and process a retail order is frequently longer than the amount of time required to take the larger orders. Therefore, many concrete suppliers see retail sales as undesirable because their resources are diverted from taking orders for the larger jobs.
In addition, many currently existing businesses may be tentative in entering the concrete business, because of the infrastructure that must be established. As a nonlimiting example, a retail home improvement company may choose not to enter the concrete business because they would need to hire and train personnel. Such companies may also need to develop a way by which to take orders, and a way by which to determine approximate costs, profits, etc. With the plethora of additions to the structure of the existing business, some businesses may be deterred in expanding into the concrete supply business. In addition to the effort expended in creating such an infrastructure, many businesses will not see a profit for months or even years after the commencement of a concrete division. The delay in profit realization, and the risk that no profit will be realized, may put a strain on the company as a whole, and possibly risk the company's overall success. Consequently, many businesses choose not to expand their business into the concrete supply business, thereby possibly forfeiting a profitable source of income.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.